Stefano Langone: 'Idol' was 'star school' for his future

Stefano Langone: 'Idol' was 'star school' for his future

"Lucky number seven" Stefano Langone, the remaining judges' pick, left the Idol stage last night after three weeks in the bottom three. The energetic crooner, like previously ousted Paul McDonald, looks at the show as a jump-start to his career.

Stay tuned for his USA TODAY interview, but he also fielded questions in a Friday conference call. Here is an edited transcript:

What were you thinking during Pia Toscano's elimination?

Me and Pia had a close bond and I was really pulling for her. When I came out for American Idol, it was getting that foot in the door in the music industry and taking a step forward. I knew how bad Pia wanted to be the American Idol. I almost wanted it more for her than me. It worked out for the best for her, I'm proud of her and she's going to do work. But it was very shocking, you know? It was a very shocking moment for the whole world.

How has music been a part of your life?

It's hard to really show your chops on the show. Casey got to show his musicianship. One thing I wanted to save and keep to myself was my original music and piano playing. That's something I want to show the world and I think will be very special.

Music has been everything. I grew up playing instruments all my life. I found out I could sing in band, ironically. I love music. I live and breath music. I write so much, and I can't wait to get some collaborations done and really work. I've gotten a lot of great feedback from people in the industry and they have a market for me that's wide open. I know I will be doing very well after this.

How did your time in the bottom three prepare you for last night?

I had been through that process so many times, I didn't think about that at all. What I was thinking was that if I make it through I have to start thinking about next week and if I don't, I need to be ready to sing my song and keep my composure and kill it, give it that last great performance. And that's exactly what I did. I got to lucky number seven, and it doesn't really reflect on who I am as a musician and a performer at all. It's a show and that's one thing you have to remember. Now it's time for me to move forward and put my footprint on the industry.

What's your relationship with James Durbin?

James is a little crybaby. He's my brother. We've been roommates since Hollywood week. I'm going to be the best man at his wedding. I love him dearly and he loves me. Last night he was a wreck, but I was telling him to stay focused and not to worry about me. I did everything that I set off to do on this show, and it's paid off. I told him to keep on succeeding and I'd be back in a couple of weeks. We're brothers for life, and I love the guy dearly.

What did you take away from the show?

As far as learning who I am, I think I came into this knowing exactly who I was and stayed true to that the whole time. As a musician, I've learned so much from Jimmy Iovine and the panel, everyone who has helped me get to this point. I'm ready to take the next step as a performer and use it in the big picture.

Why are you so confident you will succeed?

The first thing is timing. Right now, there's a market for what I do and what I can do. The producers know it, my management knows it and I know it. It's cool to get that acknowledgment and the judges said the same thing. It's time and I'm ready to pounce on it. I'm ready to attack. The cool thing is I didn't get the opportunity to really show who I was on the show.

I wasn't able to showcase everything I had, partially because I chose to do it that way and partially because when you're singing covers for a minute and 30 seconds, it's hard to show what you've got. But I've taken in everything, realized it's a show, and it hasn't hurt me as far as knowing what I can do for this industry. I'm going in a different direction than any American Idol contestant really has, doing collaborations with rappers, getting in the game fast, having that swagger that will get me further. I have the resilience and I have the willpower, the fight and I'm ready to go right now.

Were you sad you didn't kiss Jennifer Lopez before Casey Abrams did?

No man, not at all. That's cool for Casey and I'm glad. It's probably the first kiss he's had in a long time.

How was it seeing all the eliminated contestants come back last night?

It was really cool to see everyone come back and have that time where you're sitting in the green room all about to go on stage one last time together. Everybody is so cool and amazing in their own ways and they all have their own niche. Just to be around that talent and that great passion we all have and the love for the music is unbelievable.

How has your schedule been on the show?

We were seven days a week, every day and we never had a day off. That's the industry and that's everything we wanted. That's the business. It's such a cool experience to actually know that if you get four or five hours of sleep a night, that's hot. That's good stuff right there. It's star school. This is preparing us for what's to come and what we've got to do. That's invaluable and is so amazing.

When there were a lot of us, the dreadful days would be the days we were meeting with Jimmy, rehearsing and doing interviews because those were 16 to 17-hour days, and the Ford shoot videos were 16,17,18-hour days. These days are long and when I mean long i,t's a lot of hurry up and wait so you mentally have to stay awake all day because you never know when you're going to have to turn it on. But again, it's star school.

Who is your fan base?

I think the fan base, when I start doing my music, will just be fans of music. If you really appreciate ? and it's hard because I haven't gotten behind the piano and done my original stuff, I did a lot of my performance standing up and getting down and whatever, but I can also perform behind a piano and really show my voice on in a different tone, that John Legend, Stevie Wonder kind of thing. And it's cool because there's that Bruno Mars thing that's going on right now, but really that sound, the Justin Timberlake feel, no one's really tapping into that game right now. That's something I'm going to try to get into and really make a mark.

What advice did the judges give you?

Just to have the acknowledgment from them knowing that if I keep working like I'm working here getting better and better, getting that from them and the producers and Interscope and knowing that I have support from people in the industry who know the business is something special. I'm really close with Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony and respect both of them as people and as musicians, and they have guided me so much through the experience. Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler have been great, too.

What's next for you?

I am going to be: press, press, press, New York, shows, press, pretty crazy schedule until next Thursday. I'm going to be staying in LA., working and getting my stuff together here. I'm going to be busting my butt until we have the finale. I'm really happy I have this time; I have five weeks where I can network and hustle before the tour. I have a lot of stuff lined up and it's going to be some good stuff.

What was a disappointment about the experience?

If you're going to be in the industry, you can't be ignorant. You have to understand that the it is cut-throat. Knowing that coming in, I was not surprised or taken aback at all. I'm too positive of a person to be really affected by this. Everything that has happened to me has led me to this moment. Everything after this is me busting my butt. It is what it is.

Did you ever want to show off your piano skills?

A lot of my decision making was based on what I want to do after this. A lot of the songs I picked weren't necessarily for what was best for the show, but were songs showing who I am as a musician and a singer for the people I will be working with after this.

When I get on that piano, I don't want 20 million people to remember me singing covers on a piano. I want them to see me sing my heartfelt songs that come from the soul. When I do bring that, it will be something special. I want to save that moment for myself. There's so much judgment and scrutiny on what we do. When I'm off this show, which I am now, I'm going to show the world what impact I can make.

What is your music style?

I am versatile. John Legend has worked with Kanye and Outkast and other things, so with that soul, that's the way I'm going to go. I have the range of Stevie Wonder and the soul with the John Legend feel. Working with rappers and having that swagger to write -- I wrote choruses and hooks for rappers so I have a lot of stuff in the bag that I haven't shown yet.

Did being a judge's pick put you behind?

Possibly, but at the same time, it went from 24 to 13. That's the biggest cut so you can't really dog yourself, so it was hard for the American public to see you. To get that opportunity was unbelievable, and I made the most of it which is why I got so far. It all worked out.

Did you feel yourself improve during the show?

Oh yeah. I suck in everything they say, then I listen and I execute. That's what you have to do, you have to get better and better. I felt like I really got better and I didn't peak or reach the point where I was going to show anything that I didn't have. I love the advice and I take it all to heart.

How hard was it to keep your eyes open while singing?

It's crazy because when I first started singing it was behind a piano and I never had to worry about keeping open my eyes behind a piano because I was grooving. My eyes are closed because I'm so into it on stage and I'm feeling every word and note, but I learn that that's not what connects to the people. So I started getting it and working it. Now I can look in the camera and use my big eyes to get the words across and the feeling across.

It's just repetition, practice. I'd go to the gym and practice in front of the mirrors. You have to have a happy medium to know what you have to do when you go on stage. You have to go and execute.

Were you upset to be eliminated?

I was completely at peace and at ease. I knew what it was and it's not worth stressing out about. It was the perfect time to go out. If I got through, I'd want to make it past five. I thought it was better to go out here than be number six. I did what I came here to do,\ -- I got a foot in the door in the music industry.

Do you think the press about your past DUI arrest deterred voters?

Everybody goes through struggles in your life. There's no regrets there and there's nothing to hide. It is what it is. It's actually not a DUI so everything worked out and I'm blessed to be here and I wouldn't be on the phone in this beautiful moment with you guys.

Is there anything you would have done differently?

Maybe one week when I did Hello. I had never heard the song before and I was kind of pushed to do it and I did it, and I did it well, in my opinion, vocally very well, I was trying to remember the words and notes rather than performing, which is what I lost there. Other than that, I planned everything based on what I want to do after this competition. It's been a great journey.

How long before you win a Grammy?

A year, two years. Yeah!

Is there a musician you want to collaborate with in the future?

Oh my gosh, where to start? I'd love to write some stuff with Bruno Mars, John Legend, Kanye, Lil Wayne, my father ? I want to perform my father. There's so many artists I'd love to hook up with. I'd love to pick Usher's brain. Ne-Yo, the producers I worked with, I'd love to get more time with them and I know I will. There's so many things that are going to open up with me and I can't wait.

How do you feel about the guy-girl advantage?

One part of me believes this theory. There's more women watching this than men. The other thing is knowing what niches are working right now. We don't know the vote scale and who's winning this week and we don't know what people want to hear. I have no idea how they would change the voting up.

What do you want to tell your fans?

Just be happy for me and to soak in this moment and enjoy this like I am. I had the absolute most amazing time. I did everything that I came out here to do. Everybody has an opinion, but don't feed into the negative stuff. There's much more positive than negative. Take everything with a grain of salt because I'm happy and they should be too.

See photos of: American Idol

Ana Hickmann Carla Campbell Hilary Duff Karen Carreno Magdalena Wróbel